Postscript

PostScript: A very naughty boy?

Luke challenges us to reconsider who or what we ought to offer thanks for (Luke 17.11-19).

Introduction

Nine of those ten lepers would presumably have been suitably chastised by their mothers when they got home from their encounter with Jesus: ‘Well, I hope you said thank you?’ To which those naughty boys would have to admit, ‘Er, no mum.’ At which point they would probably have received a clip around the ear and been sent to their bedroom, without any tea!

One however, a Samaritan no less, threw himself down at Jesus feet in an act of sincere thanksgiving! This passage encourages us to consider who, this week, we ought to be giving thanks for, and also to think of those people we feel distanced from because they have something which makes them ‘different’ or which sets them apart from the rest of society. We are reminded that God-revealed-in-Jesus refuses to see barriers in the boundaries of ‘normality’ which human society creates.

Context

Monty Python star, writer and director Terry Jones was honoured with a Bafta Cymru, which his friend and co-star, Michael Palin, said was ‘hugely deserved’. His son accepted this ‘thank you’ for an outstanding contribution to the industry on Terry’s behalf, standing alongside his father, who had announced last month that he has a severe form of dementia.

The true story of ‘Penguin’, a magpie who was rescued by a family as a chick when she fell from her nest, also tells of the healing she brought to the family who saved her, following an accident which left Sam Bloom paralysed.

Miss Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children is a new film, released last week, which tells the stories of a group of children who live apart from a world that doesn’t understand them, almost as if they were a colony of lepers.

Reflection

Terry Jones immortal words as the mother of Brian Cohen, in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, will be remembered by some as among of the most awesome of quotes ever: ‘He’s not the messiah! He’s a very naughty boy!’ Jones directed this film, as well as starring in it alongside the rest of the Python crew. It would be fair to say that, for the Church, this film’s satirical critique of religion – and Hollywood’s depiction of all things biblical – has caused much debate over the past four decades. The Church’s original response to the film when it released was based on a bishop and other church representatives not even having seen the entire film. It was labelled forever after (by some) as blasphemous. However, the Pythons themselves would admit that very early in their creative process they felt they could not mock God or the figure of Jesus Christ. But politics and organised religion were fair game. So we see everyone else mocked, from Pontius Pilate to crazy prophets, Roman centurions to ex-lepers. The ex-leper in this instance is struggling to continue to maintain his income as a beggar after he was miraculously healed of his dreaded skin disease, and he is none too thankful for it – unlike the returning Samaritan ex-leper in Luke 17.15-16!

Whether the Pythons’ style of satirical humour appeals to you or not, their combined work and talents, via the healing power of laughter, have crossed of many boundaries in human culture. And with such boundaries crossed, questions are asked of our assumptions and we see a breaking down of barriers. Tribute was paid this week to Terry Jones, now afflicted by a particularly debilitating strain of dementia which affects his speech, and he was thanked for his challenging creativity.

The challenges that dementia presents for individuals with the disease, alongside their friends and families, are not be underestimated. While today’s Gospel passage sees the healing of ten individuals, the degenerative nature of dementia shows little signs of a cure being found. How does Luke 17 speak to those struggling with dementia? If it is true that healing can take many forms, how can we in our churches change the way we act and talk about dementia? An initiative by the Alzheimer's Society, called Dementia Friends aims to do just that.

The Bloom family found healing of a sort from an unusual source. After falling from her nest and being rescued by the family, ‘Penguin’ the baby magpie became an unusual member of the family, as well as an internet sensation. Her adorable and eccentric character was a huge comfort, especially to Sam Bloom, who’s six metre fall from a balcony had left her paralysed from the chest down. Sam said ‘I loved having her around because she was like company. She was pretty much on my lap or on my shoulder from the moment we brought her home. She was just company and she'd make us laugh.’ The rescued bird was undeniably part of the healing process that led Sam to venture out of her wheelchair and take up kayaking three years ago. She has since become part of the Australian para-kayaking team. Sam would say she owes thanks to her family, exercise and a surprising, odd little bird. As the promotional video of the photographic book of their story says: ‘Angels come in all shapes and sizes’.

While both the stories of Naman in 2 Kings 5 and of the ten lepers in Luke 17 offer some insight into the boundaries we create and our possible opportunities for restoration, a new film picks up on these themes by breaking through the barriers between what is considered real and the world of imagination. Miss Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children imagines a world where those who are considered too different to exist in ‘normal’ society are given the chance to embrace that which makes them strangely different, and to give thanks for their gift. Sometimes it is that which makes us seem peculiar to others that can become our saving grace, because we are different. As with so many boundaries we erect in society which label some people as ‘different’, what is needed is not what some would regard as healing, but a new level of understanding. Interestingly, alongside giving thanks for the work of peculiarly creative work of Terry Jones this week, the grandfather of the main character in this film also has dementia.

Luke's retelling of Jesus encounter with 10 people with an ostracising skin disease shows how Jesus’ healing gift may seem to have been received ungratefully – ten approach Jesus; ten are healed; only one says thank you, and that thanks came from a surprising source. Stories from the world this week show that we can be grateful to those who cross boundaries to bring us healing in surprising ways: a director and actor; a bird; and a child. Healing may not always come to those we want it to, or in the ways we want it to, but Jesus words encourage us to look for new life in the face of disease or despair: ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
sometimes, despite our faith, we can feel lost;
neither in one place or another;
subliminally liminal;
stuck in-between our beginning and our journey’s end;
not knowing whether to go forwards, or to turn back.

When we feel we are on the outside looking in –
open the door to your understanding.
When we see everyone else as ‘normal’ and we seem ‘different’ –
open our eyes to your reality.
When we hear others talking about us, rather than to us –
open our ears to your truth.
When we hurt, because our bodies too tired out;
or, our minds have been stretched too far;
or, life is simply too painful –
open our hearts and pour in your healing love.

Lord Jesus,
have mercy on us.
Erase the boundaries we place around ourselves.
Break down the barriers others have placed between us.
Remove all obstacles.
Help us to get up and go your way.
Thank you!
Amen.

Questions

Can you think of some wildly creative people who you would present with an award for their contribution to our world today? In particular, those who might be considered abnormal or peculiar or not to everyone’s taste, but without whom our world would be a less colourful place? Invite nominations, giving reasons for why these people should be thanked and honoured, as if you were holding a mock Bafta
We might consider that our society has come a long way in accepting differences between those who were once considered normal and those who were not. Consider those groups of people (e.g. lepers) who have crossed that boundary during our lifetime, and become accepted by society. Who are those who are still considered outsiders or peculiar, whom we still keep at arm’s length?
How do we in our churches view people with life changing health issues, especially those struggling with dementia or mental illness?
How do feel when it seems as if our faith cannot make us (or someone we love) well? In what ways might we be angry with God when we seem to be losing someone we love to dementia? Where can we find salvation?
Watch the clip from Monty Python’s Life of Brian where the ex-leper talks about his miraculous healing and subsequent loss of income. When can a blessing become a curse, or visa-versa?

Action

Every church likes to think of themselves as being a welcoming community, when in reality there are so many areas in which we fall short. Look into how your church might create a dementia friendly community by exploring the resources of Dementia Friends. Maybe you could invite someone to come and lead a session to learn more about dementia and what you can do to support those affected by this disease. Give thanks for those who offer care and support.

Young people

Being a teenager can too often be about fitting in, or not. Those labelled with leprosy (which in some cases may have been little more than a severe rash or bad acne) were pushed beyond the boundaries of ‘normal’ society. Being thought of as abnormal or peculiar can be wildly offensive, but supposing instead we consider it as a compliment, or a gift. The official website for the film Miss Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children offers some examples of wonderfully creative real people whose peculiarities have enabled them to step beyond the normal and embrace being different. Where would film director’s like Tim Burton or Terry Jones, or a writer such as Terry Pratchett, be if they had been ‘normal’?

Tim Lowe is a minister of the United Reformed Church, serving four churches in north Coventry and as chaplain to URC Youth Executive 2016. Tim is particularly in interested in using visual art forms as expressions of faith.